A Platform to Affirm Fundamental Human Rights

[F4lconF16]

18. I would like to see some action taken to address

The two-party system as well. Though I realize this is a site dedicated to Democrats and supporting Democratic principles, I think we have to recognize that the two-party system currently in place does not foster democracy. We need to address that and abolish the system.

A good start to that is ending the electoral college and creating publicly funded elections. That said, more drastic steps need to be taken to protect the right to choice of a candidate. As I said in another thread posted here, if I can't vote for a socialist candidate for fear of losing my vote or electing a Republican, then I don't have a vote. I don't have a choice.

This is why I would like to see instant-runoff voting procedures instituted at the national level, with states being forced to follow those procedures, as suggested upthread. Voting for a candidate you don't want to prevent someone worse from winning means you no longer have a vote, or at least not one that matters in a meaningful way. Instant-runoff voting (where you select candidates in order of priority, and if your first choice does not garner enough votes to win, then your vote goes to your second choice, then a third, etc.) will address this. We need to add this or something similar to our party platform, or we will see any gains we make over the next 5-10 years eventually eroded again.

There are fundamental changes to our elections system that we must support, or we are only providing the illusion of the Right to Democracy. Despite being one of the two parties in power in the two-party system, we must be willing to relinquish some of that power to preserve democracy.